Department for Transport

Transport: Cumbria

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of transport infrastructure in Cumbria; and if he will conduct a feasibility study on upgrading the A595 from Carlisle to Whitehaven.

Andrew Jones: The Government and the rail industry work closely with local stakeholders to assess the adequacy of infrastructure and determine investment priorities for each five year Rail Investment Strategy for England and Wales.　 Work is currently underway to inform decisions on the Strategy for 2019-2024   In April 2015 Highways England published its Route Strategies, which included an assessment of the main issues, challenges and investment priorities for the sections of the Strategic Road Network in Cumbria, including the A590, A595, A66 and M6.   The Infrastructure Act 2015 requires Highways England to maintain an appropriate evidence base on the state and performance of the Strategic Road Network, which will inform the setting of future Road Investment Strategies. Plans for reviewing the current Route Strategies, including those covering Cumbria, will be announced later this year.It remains the responsibility of Cumbria County Council, in consultation with Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, to consider the case for upgrading the stretches of the A595 that fall under its authority and to consider how any feasibility studies or upgrades might be funded.

A69

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what timescale he has planned for the completion of the feasibility study of the upgrading of the A69.

Andrew Jones: The Department, working with Highways England, is in the process of procuring consultants to undertake the Northern Trans-Pennine Strategic Study, which includes consideration of the A69. It is anticipated that this will report by the end of 2016. I have recently written to MPs and council leaders whose constituencies or local authorities are directly affected by the strategic studies informing them of the studies’ imminent formal commencement.

Carlisle Station

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will include a requirement to upgrade Carlisle station in the next invitation to tender for the West Coast Mainline franchise.

Claire Perry: Prior to the publication of the Intercity West Coast Invitation to Tender there will be a consultation on the specification of the next franchise. This consultation exercise will help to inform the development of the Invitation to Tender and I would welcome my Hon Friend to submit his ideas for Carlisle station.

Exhaust Emissions: Greater London

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of air pollutant emissions from (a) road traffic, (b) aviation and (c) shipping on the air quality in London.

Andrew Jones: I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 16 June 2015, UIN 1572, to the Hon Member for Poplar and Limehouse (Mr Fitzpatrick) http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=1572.

Home Office

Home Office: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which buildings occupied by her Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Karen Bradley: A schedule of the buildings occupied by the Department that are owned or part-owned privately will be placed in the House Library. The total rent payable is £45.9 million per annum. The figure given on 21 January 2014, Official Report, column 99W omitted rents of two properties and should have been £46.8 million.

Home Office: Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for her Department and its subsidiary agencies are paid less than the living wage.

Karen Bradley: Holding answer received on 23 June 2015



All permanent members of staff directly employed by the Home Office are paid the Living Wage or above.All temporary agency staff are employed in accordance with the Agency Workers Regulations which ensures parity with directly employed staff after 12 weeks.The Home Office only keeps information on the legal minimum standards of pay of staff employed by organisations contracted to provide services within the Home Office, not the living wage.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Middle East: Christianity

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support Christians facing persecution in the Middle East.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 March (Written Answer 228525).

Gaza

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EU member states on policy responses by the EU to the recent report by the World Bank to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee which concluded that Gaza is on the verge of collapse.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: EU Foreign Ministers regularly discuss the situation in Gaza; they did so most recently at the Foreign Affairs Council on 22 June 2015.

Israel: Products

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on proposals to introduce EU sanctions on Israeli products.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: There are currently no EU proposals to introduce EU sanctions on Israeli products. We do not believe that imposing sanctions or boycotts on Israel would promote progress towards peace.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of Iran's ballistic missile research and development programme.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1929 prohibits Iran from all activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. Iran’s ballistic missile programme, and its continued development in violation of UNSCRs, is a significant concern. We keep Iran’s ballistic missile programme under constant review.

Cabinet Office

Public Appointments

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library a list of all public appointments made between 1 January 2015 and 1 May 2015.

Matthew Hancock: This information is not held centrally. Under the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies April 2012, government departments are required to publicise successful appointments. This is the responsibility of individual departments.

Cabinet Office: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Matthew Hancock: The Cabinet Office occupies 35 Great Smith Street, 10 Great George Street and Rosebery Court under leases held directly by the Cabinet Office with private landlords. These properties were rented before May 2010.Our work to rationalise the Government's property estate has resulted in the exit of 2,018 buildings since 2010, raising £1.4 billion in capital receipts and generating £625 million in running costs savings up to 31 March 2014.

Immigration: Commonwealth

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people from Commonwealth countries who remained longer than a year entered the country in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. 



UKSA Letter to Member - Commonwealth Citizens
(PDF Document, 153.48 KB)

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Exports: Cumbria

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the value of exports from (a) Cumbria and (b) Carlisle was in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

Anna Soubry: Data on the total value of exports from Cumbria and Carlisle are not available. Data for the value of goods exports are published at regional level only by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in Regional Trade Statistics. Data on the value of service exports by region are not available.

Department for International Development

Palestinians: Housing

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds on how many houses have been built in Gaza to replace those destroyed during Operation Protective Edge; and what proportion that number is of the number destroyed.

Mr Desmond Swayne: According to the UN, over 60,000 houses were partially or completely destroyed during the Gaza crisis last summer. Over 88,000 beneficiaries have now been able to buy some or all materials for reconstruction through the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism to carry out house repairs. The UK provided £0.5m to support the Materials Monitoring Unit (MMU) which oversees and monitors the import, storage, supply and use of construction materials into Gaza.

Department for Education

Housing Improvement: Education

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential benefits of home maintenance and improvement skills being taught in schools.

Nick Gibb: The new national curriculum, which came into force in maintained schools in England from September 2014, focuses on the essential knowledge that schools should cover. It gives teachers and schools the freedom and flexibility to develop a wider school curriculum that meets the needs of their pupils.  Design and Technology (D&T) is compulsory for pupils aged 5-14. As part of the D&T curriculum pupils have opportunities to design and make products that solve real world problems. The D&T curriculum encourages schools to use a wide range of industrial, commercial and domestic contexts for their teaching. Whilst the curriculum does not specify which craft skills or activities should be taught, it is possible for schools to teach home maintenance and improvement skills.

Physical Education: Young People

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase opportunities for young people to undertake physical activity in the countryside.

Edward Timpson: Physical Education (PE) remains compulsory at all four key stages in the new national curriculum in England and the programmes of study at key stages 2, 3 and 4 all state that pupils should take part in outdoor, adventurous activities. At key stage 4, these activities should take place in a range of environments and present intellectual and physical challenges. The national curriculum programme of study for PE is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study   We also know that some schools are using their Primary PE and Sport Premium to provide enhanced opportunities for their pupils in this area – this includes rock-climbing, mountaineering and sailing.

Schools: Asbestos

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2015 to Question 845, which (a) schools and (b) other bodies will receive part of the £1.4 billion funding.

Edward Timpson: The £1.4 billion of funding for school condition is distributed through both formulaic allocations (the School Condition Allocations (SCA) and Devolved Formula Capital (DFC)) and the bid based Condition Improvement Fund (CIF); all of which is administered by the Education Funding Agency.   All schools receive DFC allocations. Bodies that are responsible for schools (including local authorities and multi-academy trusts with more than five schools and 3,000 pupils) receive SCA to maintain their schools. A full break-down of the schools and responsible bodies that will receive allocations of funding to maintain and improve the condition of their school buildings in financial year 2015 to 2016 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-allocations   Those academies not eligible for a formulaic SCA are able to bid into the CIF. A list of the projects that have been approved for CIF in financial year 2015 to 2016 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/condition-improvement-fund

Academies: Closures

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2015 to Question 1084, what notice was given by each academy that has closed since 2010.

Edward Timpson: When the decision to close an academy is made, detailed discussions take place between a range of stakeholders to decide upon the best point in time for provision to cease. These stakeholders include the academy trust, the local authority, other local providers, and the learners themselves. The amount of elapsed time between the notice of closure given by an academy trust and the date of the closure varies on a case by case basis and will be influenced by a range of local factors. The primary concern is always the continued and uninterrupted education of those students affected by the closure.

Teachers

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the change in the number of teachers that will be required in each subject by 2020 as a result of making the Ebacc compulsory.

Nick Gibb: Each time a teaching or curriculum-related policy change is announced, the Department for Education considers the resulting change in teacher demand.   The department does this, in part, by adding policy assumptions into the Teacher Supply Model (TSM), which informs the initial teacher training targets each year. We will factor the compulsory Ebacc commitment into future TSMs as required, and publish on GOV.UK in line with our usual approach to forecasting teacher supply requirements.   More details as to how the policy assumption process is managed within the TSM itself, along with some previous examples, can be found in both the 2015/16 TSM and the accompanying user guide, which are published online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-supply-model

Children in Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to raise the profile of the Care Planning and Fostering Regulations and Guidance among local authorities.

Edward Timpson: The government has made a series of important reforms to improve permanence for looked after children. We gave these reforms a high profile launch at the British Association of Adoption and Fostering conference on permanence in October 2014, where they formed the centrepiece of my speech.   The Care Planning and Fostering (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2015 and associated guidance came into force on 1 April 2015. We have promoted these reforms to local authorities via the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) bulletin in March 2015; and again through the Department for Education’s official communication to local authority Directors of Children’s Services, Chief Executives and Lead Members earlier this month.   The Care Planning and Fostering (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2015 have been published online here: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/495/made and www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416720/Stat_Guidance_Permanence_2015.pdf

Free Schools: Buildings

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of establishing a free school in temporary accommodation before moving that school to another building; and whether costs of such temporary accommodation and moves are included by her Department in value for money assessments.

Edward Timpson: A value for money assessment is made prior to a school being approved into pre-opening and again before a capital budget is approved. This includes an assessment of whether temporary accommodation is needed. The cost of temporary accommodation varies depending on the type of accommodation used.

Ministry of Justice

Bill of Rights Commission

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations and conclusions of the Commission on a Bill of Rights report published on 18 December 2012.

Dominic Raab: This government was elected with a mandate to reform and modernise the UK human rights framework.The UK has a proud tradition of respect for human rights which long pre-dates the Human Rights Act 1998. But the Human Rights Act opened the system to abuse, damaging the credibility of human rights. The government will bring forward proposals for a British Bill of Rights, which will replace the Human Rights Act. Our Bill will protect fundamental human rights, but also prevent their abuse and restore some common sense to the system. In developing our proposals, the government will take into account the Commission’s final report, as well as any other relevant information.We will fully consult on our proposals before introducing legislation.

Cremation

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend the definition of ashes in the Cremation Act 1902.

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to appoint an independent inspector of crematoriums.

Caroline Dinenage: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham on 15 June, which can be found at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-06-08/1388/

Debt Collection

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what changes have been or are to be made to how bailiffs operate as a result of HM Courts and Tribunals Service recent review of enforcement methods.

Mr Shailesh Vara: HM Courts and Tribunals Service is improving its enforcement functions. Progress is being made on various issues, including improving the effectiveness of bailiff evictions, improving communications during bailiff proceedings, and standardising how bailiff teams operate.

Ministry of Justice: Legal Costs

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on (a) external legal advice from Queen's Counsel and (b) other external legal advice between 7 May 2010 and the present day; what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Department were in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012; to whom such payments were made; for what reasons such legal advice was sought; and what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by his Department was since 7 May 2010.

Mike Penning: The information requested is not held centrally in this form and could only be collected at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence

Bassingbourn Barracks: Damage

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what damage to Bassingbourn base was caused by Libyan soldiers on their training mission at the base; what the cost of repairs arising from that damage was; whether all such repairs are now completed; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: The current cost of the repairs caused by the Libyans is approximately £138,000 which is being recovered from the Libyan Government.This amount covers replacement to fixtures and fittings and the repair/replacement of fire detection and alarm systems.Repairs are currently ongoing.

Military Bases: Bassingbourn

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what facilities at Bassingbourn base (a) have been and (b) are being made available to the local community; what estimate he has made of the value of provision of those facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: Before the base closed in 2012 there were a number of facilities available at the site, including an Astroturf pitch, golf course, dry ski slope and open space for recreational pursuits, which created approximately £30,000 per annum. The Tower Museum is also located at Bassingbourn.No clubs currently use the site.

Military Bases: Bassingbourn

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what improvements were made to Bassingbourn base in each year since 2010; what the cost was of each such improvement; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: No new investment was made at Bassingbourn Barracks in the period between 1 April 2010 and the handover of the Barracks to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in January 2013.

Armed Forces: Complaints

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2015 to Question 1366, how many personnel from each branch of the armed forces have made a complaint; how many such personnel have responded to (a) letters sent to their last address and (b) information on his Department's website; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: As of 22 June 2015, 26 service complaints have been raised by serving or former members of the Armed Forces - seven from the Royal Navy, 18 from the Army, and one from the Royal Air Force. Of the total, 21 were submitted in response to letters, and five were submitted prior to the letters being sent out.

Armed Forces: Mefloquine

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 June 2015 to Question 126, when he plans to place in the Library the correspondence between 2010 and 2015 between his Department and Public Health England in relation to use of Lariam or Mefloquine and reports of (a) hallucinations, (b) psychosis and (c) suicidal thoughts in personnel prescribed those medications.

Mark Lancaster: The Department does not hold any correspondence between Public Health England (PHE) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in relation to hallucinations, psychosis or suicidal thoughts in personnel prescribed Mefloquine (commercial name Lariam).The use of Mefloquine by the MOD is based on the expert guidance of the PHE Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention on which the MOD has a representative.

Ministry of Defence: Redundancy Pay

Martin John Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for staff employed in his Department has been in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The table below shows the annual costs for military and civilian Voluntary Early Release Scheme and redundancy payments for financial years 2010-11 to 2013-14. The figure for 2014-15 will be contained in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2014-15 due to be published before summer recess. YearAnnual Report And Accounts Figures(£000)2010-2011£189,2202011-2012£293,7892012-2013£180,8242013-2014£218,720

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Steven Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many full-time equivalent staff at each civil service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Mark Lancaster: The number of full-time equivalent staff at each civil service grade for each Private Office is as follows: POST TITLEGRADE Secretary of State for Defence SofS-COSSCS 2 SofS-PSG6 SofS-DPSG7 SofS-MAOF4* SofS-APSSEO X 2 SofS-APSEO X 2 SofS-AdminSptAO SofS-SpecialAdviserSCS 1 X 2 Minister of State for Defence Procurement Min(DP)-PSG7 Min(DP)-APSSEO X 2 Min(DP)-APSEO Minister of State for the Armed Forces Min(AF)-PSG7 Min(AF)-MAOF4* Min(AF)-APSSEO Min(AF)-APSEO Minister of State for the Lords Min(Lords)-PSG7 Min(Lords)-APSEO Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans Min(DPV)-PSG7 Min(DPV)-APSSEO X 2 Min(DPV)-APSEO Minister for Reserves Min(Reserves)-PSG7 Min(Reserves)-APSSEO Min(Reserves)-APSHEO Min(Reserves)-APSEO *For an inclusive picture the above data includes currently vacant posts and 2 military personnel at OF4 Lieutenant Colonel.

Gurkhas: Compensation

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the details of the Gurkha mixed marriage compensation scheme.

Mark Lancaster: Full details of the Gurkha mixed marriage compensation scheme will be published shortly. Gurkha veterans who think they qualify for the scheme are able to register their interest in the scheme and details of how to register can be found by searching 'Gurkha mixed marriage' on the gov.uk website.

Ministry of Defence: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Mark Lancaster: This information is not available as requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence: Lost Property

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) desktop, (b) laptop and (c) tablet computers were lost by his Department in 2014-15.

Mr Philip Dunne: Between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has reported that 27 laptops were lost. No desktop or tablet computers were reported as lost during this period.The MOD treats all losses of assets seriously. All reported losses are subjected to an initial security risk assessment, with further action taken on a proportionate basis.It is MOD policy that its laptops are encrypted to minimise the impact if a loss were to occur.

Navy: Fuels

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department made in each of the last five years of how much fuel would be needed in that year to accomplish all Royal Navy maritime tasking; and how much fuel was provided to the fleet in each such year.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Royal Navy uses a variety of fuels to sustain maritime commitments, with the process of forecasting fuel requirements forming an essential part of logistical support. The table below sets out the figures for estimated and actual fuel usage by the Royal Navy in support of maritime tasking over the last five years:  Calendar YearEstimated Fuel Use(in Cubic Meters)Actual Fuel Use(in Cubic Meters)2010265,954256,2542011232,884221,4182012233,872188,3872013214,771192,1042014191,358176,267

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2015 to Question 1740, whether infrastructure work in advance of the arrival of the F-35 squadron has begun at RAF Marham.

Mark Lancaster: The infrastructure work at RAF Marham is due to commence at the end of 2015.

Pitcairn Islands

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when an officer of the Ministry of Defence Police last visited the Pitcairn Islands.

Mark Lancaster: The most recent Ministry of Defence Police deployment to Pitcairn Island, which was at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, concluded on 14 February 2007.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Terminal Illnesses

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that terminally ill people access benefits to which they are entitled.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department uses a range of channels to communicate with claimants and advisers ‒ including leaflets, and the government information website GOV.UK. Furthermore, the Department works closely with a range of organisations to ensure they can give the best possible advice to their clients, including people that are terminally ill, on possible benefit entitlements. Claims for disability or incapacity benefits, including Personal Independence Payment or Employment and Support Allowance, for people that are terminally ill are fast-tracked under the Department’s ‘special rules’. Once identified their claim must be processed as soon as possible, and they will not need to have a face-to- face assessment. More information on how to claim benefits such as PIP and ESA can be found on the GOV.UK website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/disability.

Children: Maintenance

Dr Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what proportion of and how many live Child Support Agency cases there were on maintenance arrears where the non-resident parent is self-employed.

Priti Patel: The non-resident parent is self employed in 7.5% (91,400) of live cases with arrears. Notes1. Employment information is unavailable for cases managed off system and for some arrears only cases.2. Figure rounded to the nearest 100.

Children: Maintenance

Dr Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of and how many Child Support Agency cases being dealt with by that Agency's legal enforcement teams concern non-resident parents who are (a) self-employed, (b) self-employed with a company and (c) otherwise self-employed.

Dr Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of and how many Child Support Agency cases being dealt with by that Agency's legal enforcement teams concern non-resident parents who (a) own a company and (b) are otherwise self-employed.

Priti Patel: There are 51,500 live cases in legal enforcement, of which the non-resident parent is self employed in 28,400 (55.2%) cases. Information on non-residents parents who own a company is not routinely recorded for management information purposes and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Notes1. Employment information is unavailable for cases managed off system and for some arrears only cases.2. Figures rounded to the nearest 100.

Children: Maintenance

Dr Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to use Integrated Debt Services Ltd to collect (a) child maintenance arrears owed to his Department and (b) maintenance arrears owed to parents with care with arrears only Child Support Agency cases.

Priti Patel: The Department has a wide range of effective enforcement powers to facilitate the collection of child maintenance. There are no current plans to use integrated Debt Services Ltd to collect child maintenance arrears.

Employment: Mental Illness

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department provides for people in employment with mental health problems.

Justin Tomlinson: The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service can offer support to individuals with a mental health condition who are absent from work or finding work difficult. The service supports those experiencing depression, anxiety, stress or other mental health issues that are affecting their work. The service was established in December 2011 and is delivered by Remploy Employment Services. Fit for Work provides both a supportive occupational health assessment and general health and work advice to employees, employers and General Practitioners (GPs), to help individuals stay in or return to work. We have also allocated over £43 million in the next three years to pilot services which support people with common mental health conditions to get into, and stay in, work. These will include buying early access to support online cognitive behavioural therapy for claimants and users of Fit for Work; and co-locating NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services in Jobcentres.

Social Security Benefits: Brighton and Hove

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the proportion of families in Brighton and Hove in households subject to the benefit cap who would not be able to afford average housing costs in that local authority area if the cap were set at £23,000 per year; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: This information is not available.

Department for Work and Pensions: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department for Work and Pensions occupies the majority of its estate under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME Contract. Under this PFI, the Department does not own any of the Estate we occupy, but leases back fully serviced accommodation from its private sector partner, Telereal Trillium. The Department pays an all-inclusive unitary price for the space occupied which includes the total cost of the rent and thirteen Facilities Management services, such as cleaning, security and all lifecycle and reactive maintenance and repairs.

Social Security Benefits: Renfrewshire

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants in Renfrewshire that appealed all or part of a sanction of their benefit were successful in each of the last five years.

Priti Patel: The available information for the number of Sanction appeals and reconsiderations overturned, in respect of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance, is published at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/: Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.html

Social Security Benefits: Renfrewshire

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many sanctions were given to benefit claimants in Renfrewshire who are (a) lone parents and (b) have a learning disability in each of the last five years.

Priti Patel: Information that is available in respect of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) lone parent sanctions is published and available at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/:Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.htmlThe rest of the information as requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Winter Fuel Payments

Sir Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to make payments of winter fuel allowance to those who qualify for such payments after the third Monday in September and before 1 January before the end of the same financial year.

Justin Tomlinson: The Qualifying Week for Winter Fuel Payment assessments is set at the third week of September to ensure that the maximum number of payments (over 95 per cent of eligible cases) are made automatically before Christmas, typically the coldest part of winter. Those that are not paid automatically are accepted as clerical claims up to the 31 March, and payment is issued as soon as possible. There are no plans to review the Qualifying Week.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that older people with disabilities are adequately supported to meet their higher costs through nationally-administered disability benefits.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department has a range of GB-wide, “extra costs” benefits intended to provide a contribution towards the extra costs faced by people with long-term health conditions and disabilities. Attendance Allowance (AA) is available to those who have long term care or supervision needs that arise from age 65 onwards; and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to those who develop care, daily living or mobility needs prior to age 65. Where the entitlement conditions for DLA or PIP continue to be met after age 65 these benefits can continue to be paid. Executive and legislative competence for these benefits will be devolved to Scotland once the Scotland Bill currently passing through Parliament receives Royal Assent and the powers are commenced.The Department is committed to encouraging older people to take up the benefits they are entitled to and uses a range of channels to communicate with claimants and advisers ‒ including leaflets, and the government information website GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/disability

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how much benefit has been withheld from claimants as a result of sanctions in each quarter since 2005.

Priti Patel: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on the 2 March 2015 to Question UIN 225001

Food Banks

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to compile data on the number of people using food banks.

Priti Patel: The Department does not monitor the use of food banks and has no plans to do so.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to reduce delays in benefits payments.

Priti Patel: DWP has made a number of operational improvements in benefit processes, supporting both speed of clearance and overall customer experience. There are no delays. In fact, processing speeds have improved, steadily increasing from 85.8% of JSA claims processed in 16 days in 2009-10 to 96% in 2004-15. We have also steadily increased the number of Employment and Support Allowance claims processed in 16 days from 72.9% in 2009-10 to 93.6% in 2014-15.

Social Security Benefits

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that all benefit claimants understand the Claimant Commitment.

Priti Patel: As part of an initial discussion customers claiming Jobseekers Allowance have an interview with a Work Coach. The purpose of this is to fully explain and agree the Claimant Commitment.

Social Security Benefits: Greater London

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in London are affected by the household benefit cap; and how many such people have been placed by their local authority in temporary accommodation.

Justin Tomlinson: The number of households that were subject to the benefit cap in February 2015, the latest available information, in London was 10,520. Data on the number of people placed by their local authority in temporary accommodation is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what savings he expects to accrue to the public purse as a result of freezing working-age benefits in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.

Priti Patel: The Government will provide costings for all new policies at the next Budget.

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit sanctions in Scotland there were in each of the last five years.

Priti Patel: The information available for the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanction decisions by geography is published at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/: Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.html

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many working recipients of universal credit have had their benefits reduced or stopped because a sanction was applied as a result of in-work conditionality.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not currently available. The Department published its strategy for releasing official statistics on Universal Credit (UC) in September 2013. As outlined in the strategy, officials are currently quality assuring data for UC therefore it is not yet possible to give a definitive list of what statistics will be provided in the future. These statistics however will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The Departments release strategy and the latest official experimental statistics on UC can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many landlords have trusted partner status for the purpose of placing tenants under alternative payment arrangements for universal credit; what proportion of universal credit recipients they cover; and what plans he has to extend that status.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit recipients have been placed under alternative payment arrangements by social landlords with trusted partner status.

Justin Tomlinson: The detailed information requested is not currently available. The Trusted Partner test was undertaken over an 8 week period with six landlords. We are evaluating the findings of this test as part of our on-going test and learn approach to working with key stakeholders in delivering Universal Credit. This evaluation will include recommendations on any next steps and future plans.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit recipients have been placed under alternative payment arrangements for the housing cost element of universal credit.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available.The Department published its strategy for releasing official statistics on Universal Credit in September 2013. As outlined in the strategy, officials are quality assuring data for Universal Credit and formulating a definitive list of what statistics will be provided in the future. These statistics will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of in-work conditionality applied to recipients of universal credit who are in work.

Priti Patel: The trial commenced on 20 April 2015 and therefore it is too early to make an assessment at this stage.

Employment: Disability

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help people with disabilities back into work.

Justin Tomlinson: Last year saw an increase of 238,000 disabled people in work. The employment rate is now 46.3% - up 2.1% from last year. Our Disability Confident Campaign is ensuring that employers understand the benefits of employing disabled people. And our programmes, like Work Choice and Access to Work, are supporting disabled people into work. We will continue to build on this success.

Working Conditions: Temperature

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure that employers comply with legislation and guidance on controlling excessively high temperatures in the workplace.

Justin Tomlinson: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities regulate workplaces to assess compliance with health & safety legislation. They also investigate complaints about working conditions, including excessive high (or low) temperatures. HSE targets its interventions on workplaces in higher risk sectors that include foundries and bakeries where high temperatures can be a concern. Inspectors can take enforcement action to improve conditions where they find problems. There is extensive guidance on the HSE website on this topic, including heat stress, and the practical steps that employers can take to manage risk. HSE is also simplifying this guidance to make it easier to use by small and medium sized enterprises. Guidance on various aspects of excessive high or low temperatures in the workplace can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/index.htm

Independent Living Fund

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the closure of the Independent Living Fund on people previously in receipt of that funding who used it to pay for assistance required to live in the community.

Justin Tomlinson: The potential implications of closing the Independent Living Fund are set out clearly in the Equality Analysis published on 6 March 2014.

Carers

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to maintain the level of (a) services used and (b) benefits claimed by carers.

Justin Tomlinson: This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by informal carers who provide invaluable support for relatives, partners, friends and neighbours who may be ill, frail or disabled. We have ensured that carers are central to the Government’s reforms to care and support, and there are stronger rights for carers in the Care Act, which came into force in April 2015. The Government is committed to continuing to provide financial support for carers through the benefit system.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Seals: Conservation

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward proposals to implement a ban on the killing of seals; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the Rt Hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East on 15 June 2015, PQ 1799.

Slaughterhouses: CCTV

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals requiring the installation of independently-monitored CCTV cameras in slaughterhouses.

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will have discussions with animal welfare groups on commissioning an independent assessment on the effect of the installation of CCTV cameras in slaughterhouses on deterring illegal practices.

George Eustice: FSA estimate that, in GB, 94% of cattle, 96% of pig, 90% of sheep and 99% of poultry throughput now comes from premises with CCTV in use which suggests that it is not necessary to legislate for change to happen.   The Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) was commissioned by GB governments to produce an independent assessment of the benefits of CCTV in slaughter houses. The report was published in February 2015.  It concluded that CCTV can offer some real benefits but it cannot replace the need for businesses to have proper monitoring procedures in place. The FAWC report does not recommend legislation. However, the government is exploring ways to encourage take up in remaining slaughterhouses.

Rivers: Nature Conservation

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what length of waterbodies is being removed from the current round of river basin management planning; and what assessment her Department has made of the effects on wildlife of removing those waterbodies.

Rory Stewart: Under the EU Water Framework Directive, ‘water bodies’ are the geographical units used to report the current quality of the water environment and set legally binding water body objectives. They are used in reporting progress to the European Commission on the implementation of the Directive. There are minimum size criteria for the size of water body that must be included in the plan. The updated river basin management plans that the Environment Agency will submit to the Secretary of State for her approval in the autumn will contain about 29,200 miles of river water bodies. This is approximately 1200 fewer miles of river water bodies, excluded because of their small size, than in the current river basin management plans. While the smaller river water bodies will not be reported in the plans, they are important and provide many benefits for people and wildlife. The laws protecting the quality of the water environment and the wildlife it supports apply to all rivers, regardless of whether they are in the river basin management plan.

Outdoor Education

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the Government meets its commitments in the 2011 Natural Choice White Paper on (a) removing barriers to learning outdoors and (b) increasing the ability of schools to teach outdoors.

Rory Stewart: The Government has taken various steps to meet the Natural Environment White Paper’s commitments relating to learning outdoors.   These include new guidance from the Health and Safety Executive and the Department for Education to help address perceived barriers, reduce burdens and to make it easier for schools to take pupils on trips. We have part-funded the Natural Connections initiative to provide support and advice for teachers, children and parents interested in learning outdoors. This demonstration project, involving around 200 schools, was established in 2012 and runs to 2016.   We have continued to support Open Farm Sunday and have funded farmers in agri-environment scheme agreements providing educational visits to farms by schoolchildren up to the age of 16. More than 300,000 schoolchildren participated in educational visits to farms in agri-environment schemes in 2014.   We also established the Pupil Premium, which schools can use to support outdoor learning in the natural environment.

Dogs: Imports

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs entered the UK from each country for (a) non-commercial purposes under the Pet Travel Scheme and (b) commercial purposes under the Balai Directive 92/45/EEC in 2014.

George Eustice: The information requested is attached. 



Data requested PQ UIN 3114
(PDF Document, 141.47 KB)

Bees: Conservation

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the decline in the bee population.

George Eustice: Defra recognises the importance of pollinators, including bees, and their value to food security and sustaining the natural environment. This is why Defra published the National Pollinator Strategy (NPS) in November 2014 (www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pollinator-strategy-for-bees-and-other-pollinators-in-england).The NPS forms a framework for collective action to help manage and raise awareness of the pressures facing pollinators. The strategy seeks to address key gaps in our understanding about the status of pollinators, identifies specific policy and evidence actions for the Government and others, and also identifies actions that everyone can take to help expand food, shelter and nest sites. To raise public awareness a ‘Call to Action’, “Bees’ Needs: Food and a Home” was launched in July 2014 (www.wildlifetrusts.org/Bees-needs). This is a simple message on the essential needs of pollinators and how to fulfil them.

Potash

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the need for security of supply of potash minerals.

George Eustice: Defra has not made an assessment of the security of supply of potash minerals. The UK currently has one domestic mine for supply and therefore depends on some imports. Import statistics provided to Defra by the Agriculture Industries Confederation show that 135,000 tonnes of straight potash fertilisers and 389,000 tonnes of potash-containing compound fertilisers were imported into the UK from a wide range of EU and non-EU countries in the 12 months to March 2015 making up approximately 40% of UK consumption.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on beak trimming of chickens; and if she will make a statement.

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on research on non-beak trimmed birds; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: Defra is working with the Beak Trimming Action Group, to find ways to manage laying hens without the need to beak trim. As part of this process, Defra has funded a study at the University of Bristol to assess the effectiveness of management strategies in reducing injurious pecking in non-beak trimmed laying hens. A review of all the evidence, including the outcome of the Bristol study, will be carried out later this year.

Seals: Scotland

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on (a) the effects of seals on fishing populations, (b) minimising the need to kill seals to maintain fishing populations and (c) improving the level of protection for seals.

Rory Stewart: Defra has not discussed the impact seals have on fish stocks, the control of seal populations to maintain fish stocks or improving the level of protection offered to seals with the Scottish Government.   Seal conservation is a devolved issue. In England, the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 strikes a proportionate balance between the conservation and welfare of the seals and the needs of those impacted by individual problem seals. We have no plans to review this legislative protection. There is no evidence to suggest that the limited local control of seals permitted in England is having an adverse effect on the conservation status of the UK seal population as a whole.

Seals: Conservation

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to improve protection for the seal population.

Rory Stewart: I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the Rt Hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East (Rt Hon Nick Brown) on 15 June 2015, PQ 1799.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Community Relations

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the strategy set out in his Department's paper, Creating the conditions for integration, published on 21 February 2012, remains the strategy of his Department.

Mr Marcus Jones: My Department remains fully committed to the approach to creating an integrated society set out in "Creating the Conditions for Integration". As detailed in the report, integration is achieved when neighbourhoods, families and individuals come together on issues that matter to them. As such, we focus on supporting shared activities to bring people together to enable strong communities where people feel they belong. We continue to support projects based on this approach, such as the community-based English language programme which enables isolated adults to learn English, and the Near Neighbours campaign, which brings together diverse faith communities to help them improve their local neighbourhoods.

Affordable Housing

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of affordable homes that will be (a) started and (b) completed in (i) Greenwich and Woolwich constituency, (ii) the Royal Borough of Greenwich, (iii) Greater London and (iv) England in each of the next five years.

Brandon Lewis: The Department does not forecast affordable housing delivery by locality by year. The Government is committed to deliver 275,000 affordable homes in England across 2015-20 with £38 billion of public and private investment.

Council Housing: Empty Property

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many council-owned properties have become vacant in (a) Greenwich and Woolwich constituency, (b) the Royal Borough of Greenwich, (c) Greater London and (d) England in each year since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: Statistics on the number of vacant local authority owned dwellings by each local authority district from 2004 to 2014 are published by the Department in Live Table 615 which is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants Statistics are not compiled on the basis of parliamentary constituencies.

Right to Buy Scheme

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of council houses which meet the criteria for sale under the planned extension of the right to buy scheme for housing association tenants; and what estimate he has made of how many of those properties will fall vacant in each of the next five years.

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether council houses (a) whose value exceeds the median value for properties of the same size in the same region and (b) the value of which is in the top third of the range will be included in the planned extension of the right-to-buy scheme for housing association tenants.

Brandon Lewis: We will set out further details on the criteria to be applied in the Housing Bill in due course.

Planning Permission: Fees and Charges

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to enable planning fees to be levied more flexibly so that the revenue raised from applications more adequately reflects the diverse workloads they generate.

Brandon Lewis: The Government have no plans to make changes to planning fees at present, but will keep the level of charges under review.

Temporary Accommodation: Barking and Dagenham

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households in temporary accommodation are housed by other London authorities in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Mr Marcus Jones: This information is not held centrally. The Department for Communities and Local Government collects quarterly data on temporary accommodation from all local authorities in England on the P1E form. Whilst this form collects data on the numbers of households that local authorities have provided with temporary accommodation in another district, it does not request details of which authorities they have been placed in.

Affordable Housing: Construction

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes have been built in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: Statistics on additional affordable housing provided in each local authority area in England are published in the Department’s live tables 1006 (social rent), 1006a (affordable rent), 1007 (intermediate housing) and 1008 (all affordable housing), which are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply These figures include both newly built housing and acquisitions.Statistics are not compiled on the basis of parliamentary constituencies.

Help to Buy Scheme

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of properties bought under the help to buy scheme that have since been sold to private sector landlords.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of properties bought under the help to buy scheme in each (a) constituency and (b) local authority area are now rented.

Brandon Lewis: We do not hold the information requested.However no public money is used to subsidise private landlords through Help to Buy as once a property is sold on, any assistance given to the initial purchase comes to an end.

Planning Permission

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter of 27 March 2015 from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning to the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate, what his policy is on landscape character and prematurity in planning decisions.

Brandon Lewis: The Government's letter of 27 March (available on the Government's website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-to-the-chief-executive-of-the-planning-inspectorate) summarised the Government's policy in respect of landscape character and prematurity. Those policies are set out in full in the Government's National Planning Policy Framework and supported by planning guidance. I would reiterate that the Government's policy retains strong protections against inappropriate development in valued areas even in the absence of an adopted and up-to-date Local Plan. Paragraph 211 of the Framework makes clear that policies in Local Plans should not be considered out-of-date simply because they were adopted prior to the publication of this Framework.

Solar Power

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 25 March 2015, HCW488 what his policy is on solar energy.

James Wharton: The written statement of 25 March, Official Report, HCWS488 is the most up to date expression of planning policy for solar energy developments and should be read alongside the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant planning practice guidance, which can be found at the following link:http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/.

New Towns

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his Department's policy is on proposals by developers to build new towns that do not accord with local plans.

Brandon Lewis: Paragraph 52 of our National Planning Policy Framework recognises that the supply of new homes can sometimes be best achieved through planning for larger scale development such as new settlements. However it also clearly sets out that all areas should prepare a Local Plan, which, as far as possible, represents a collective vision and set of agreed priorities for the area. Decisions on particular proposals must be taken in line with the Local Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

HM Treasury

Non-domestic Rates

John Stevenson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the level of business rates will next be reassessed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Gauke: The next general revaluation for business rates in England will take effect from 1 April 2017 based on rental values at 1 April 2015.

Fuels: Rebates

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many fuel stations are located within the KW12 postcode area and claim relief through the fuel rebate scheme.

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2015 to Question 1384, on fuels: rebates, when the filling station in the KW12 postcode area that submitted evidence as part of the Calls for Information did so; and what the content of that submission was.

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2015 to Question 1384, on fuels: rebates, whether the filling station in the KW12 postcode area that submitted evidence as part of the Calls for Information subsequently claimed relief through the rural fuel rebate scheme.

Damian Hinds: Records show that a filling station in the KW12 postcode area submitted evidence as part of the Calls for Information in September 2013. The filling station submitted the price spreadsheet provided here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-extension-of-the-rural-fuel-rebate-scheme-call-for-information as well as supporting records. Details of which individual fuel stations claiming relief under the scheme cannot be disclosed due to taxpayer confidentiality.

Pensions

Ian Blackford: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will take steps to ensure that people who cannot afford or choose not to access financial advice on how to invest a lump sum taken from defined contribution pension plans are able to make appropriate decisions that ensure financial security throughout their retirement.

Harriett Baldwin: Pension Wise provides free and impartial guidance on what consumers can do with their pension pots, helping them make a decision which best suits their personal circumstances. The guidance encourages customers to think about how they can best provide for themselves in the future, and prompt them to think about how long their money needs to last.   Pension Wise helps people understand when professional investment advice could be useful and how to access it by referring them to the Money Advice Service’s new Retirement Advisor Directory. The Directory helps people find a local advisor which serves their pot size, can provide a specialist type of retirement advice service, and displays information on whether they charge a minimum fee.   The government believes that it is vital that consumers should have access to professional financial advice if they need it, and supports the work of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to encourage the development of affordable models of advice to help service this need.

Child Tax Credit: Barking and Dagenham

Margaret Hodge: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are in receipt of child tax credit in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Margaret Hodge: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are in receipt of working tax credit in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Margaret Hodge: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham are in receipt of child benefit.

Margaret Hodge: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many lone parents are in receipt of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Margaret Hodge: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are in receipt of the disability element of the working tax credit in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Margaret Hodge: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households with more than two children are in receipt of child benefit in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Damian Hinds: For the local authority area of Barking and Dagenham, information detailing the number of families in receipt of Tax Credits can be found in the publication ‘Child and Working Tax Credits statistics finalised annual awards - geographical analysis’ available here:  gov.uk/government/collections/personal-tax-credits-statistics.

Child Tax Credit: Renfrewshire

Gavin Newlands: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households were in receipt of child tax credit in Renfrewshire (a) on the last date for which figures are available and (b) in each of the last five years.

Gavin Newlands: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many lone parents have been in receipt of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit in Renfrewshire in each of the last five years.

Gavin Newlands: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households receive child benefit in Renfrewshire; and how many such households received child benefit in each of the last five years.

Gavin Newlands: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households were in receipt of working tax credit in Renfrewshire in each of the last five years.

Damian Hinds: For the local authority area of Renfrewshire, information detailing the number of families in receipt of Tax Credits can be found in the publication ‘Child and Working Tax Credits statistics finalised annual awards - geographical analysis’ available here:  gov.uk/government/collections/personal-tax-credits-statistics.   Information relating to Child Benefit is available here: gov.uk/government/publications by searching for publications named ‘Child Benefit geographical analysis’.

Treasury: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Harriett Baldwin: HM Treasury rents space in three buildings: Rosebery Court, Norwich; Eastcheap Court, London and Melville Crescent, Edinburgh. In each case, the space is rented from other Government departments: Cabinet Office, Debt Management Office and Scotland Office respectively. HM Treasury pays a service charge for each of these occupations, which include rent, rates and maintenance. The below amounts were spent on occupation for the 2014/15 financial year:   Rosebery Court: £188,911.03; Eastcheap Court: £127,379.20; and Melville Crescent: £12,112.57.

Financial Services

Alison McGovern: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the public purse of the overall cost of intervention in UK banks following the financial crisis of 2007-08.

Alison McGovern: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made in each of the last five years of the effect on the public purse of the sale of the Government's stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Harriett Baldwin: The Office for Budget Responsibility regularly publishes its assessment of the fiscal impact of financial interventions in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The publications can be viewed online at www.budgetresponsibility.org.uk   In announcing the sale of the Government’s shareholding in Royal Bank of Scotland, the Chancellor is acting on independent advice from the Governor of the Bank of England and a report from Rothschild investment bank that it is in the public interest for the Government to begin now to sell its stake. The report by Rothschild, and the corresponding advice from the Governor, are both available online at www.gov.uk.

Fossil Fuels

Phil Boswell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will offer financial incentives to the UK oil and gas sector to stimulate growth.

Damian Hinds: “Driving Investment: a plan to reform the Oil and Gas Fiscal regime”, published at Autumn Statement 2014, set out a long-term plan for the future of the oil and gas fiscal regime to ensure the North Sea continues to attract investment and safeguard the future of this vital national asset. Delivering on this, the Chancellor announced a radical package of reforms in March, including an immediate cut to the rate of the Supplementary Charge, from 30% to 20%, which is already in effect; a reduction to Petroleum Revenue Tax, from 50% to 35%, from January 2016; and the introduction of a new Investment Allowance to support investment in the UK Continental Shelf. The government also provided £20m of funding for a programme of seismic surveying in 2015-16 to boost exploration in under-explored areas of the basin.  This package is worth £1.3bn over the next 5 years and is expected to deliver at least £4bn of additional investment and increase production by 15% by 2019, the equivalent of 0.1% of GDP.

Financial Services: ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the financial industry on the state of the financial services sector's IT systems.

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the (a) age and (b) reliability of the nation's financial services' IT systems and risks represented to the nation's critical infrastructure.

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the state of the financial service sector's IT systems is recorded on any risk register.

Harriett Baldwin: Responsibility for information technology infrastructure in the UK financial sector is primarily for the firms themselves. However, the Financial Authorities have a role to play in supervising, coordinating and driving change to improve the operational resilience of the sector.   The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) jointly launched, in October 2014, a review of firms’ critical infrastructure and technology resilience. The review focuses on the most significant UK retail deposit-taking organisations and is expected to conclude later this summer. The results will not be published but the FCA and PRA will provide feedback to the firms individually on their findings and any follow-up actions.   The risk of a bank experiencing severe and prolonged technical problems affecting its core infrastructure is included as an example of technical failure in the 2015 edition of the National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies published by the Cabinet Office and available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-risk-register-for-civil-emergencies-2015-edition.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons he did not discuss the sale of the Government's shareholding in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Group with RBS, NatWest Bank or Ulster Bank; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government’s shareholding in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is managed at arm’s length from HM Treasury by UK Financial Investments (UKFI). UKFI is responsible for managing the Government’s shareholding, as well as devising and executing any sales.   The management of RBS Group is responsible for the commercial operation of its banks, rather than the administration of the Government’s shareholding or any of its potential disposal options.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to ensure that the sale of the Government's shareholding in Royal Bank of Scotland Group does not have detrimental financial implications for customers of the banks in that group.

Harriett Baldwin: Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is a commercial company in which the Government is a currently a shareholder. The Government’s shareholdings are managed on an arm’s length basis by UK Financial Investments (UKFI). UKFI’s role is to manage the shareholdings, not to manage the bank.   The Government created a new, tough City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), to protect customers and ensure Britain’s banks conduct themselves to the highest standards. Irrespective of shareholder makeup, and in common with all UK banks, RBS is subject to the FCA’s Banking Conduct Regime, which covers the treatment of customers. RBS is required to fully comply with this regime going forward.

Air Passenger Duty

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of reducing air passenger duty on tourism, visitor numbers and regional economies.

Damian Hinds: The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review and considers them in the round. This means carefully considering their impact on industries such as tourism and on regional economies, as well as their contribution to the public finances and the efforts of the Government to reduce the deficit.   Air passenger duty makes an important contribution to deficit reduction. Nevertheless, the Government has exempted children from APD and reduced rates on the longest-haul flights. This will help enhance the competitiveness of the UK tourism industry and reduce the cost of holidays for families.

Children: Daycare

Catherine McKinnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has made on developing the IT infrastructure that will underpin tax-free childcare; and whether NS&I expect that system to be ready to begin taking registration from parents in autumn 2015.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to roll out tax-free childcare over 12 months from autumn 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects parents to begin opening online accounts under the new tax-free childcare scheme; and when he expects eligible parents to receive top-up payments.

Damian Hinds: The Government remains committed to bringing forward Tax-Free Childcare to help working families. The Chancellor of the Exchequer will set out the timing of the introduction as part of his Budget.

Northern Ireland Office

Corporation Tax: Northern Ireland

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans the Government has to devolve corporation tax powers to the Northern Ireland Executive.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The Corporation Tax (Northern Ireland) Bill received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015. Passing this legislation was one of the UK Government’s key commitments in the Stormont House Agreement and provides evidence that we will deliver on our obligations. The new tax-setting powers include a commencement clause. The powers will only be commenced if the Executive demonstrates that its finances are on a long term sustainable footing.

Parades Commission

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many meetings she has had with (a) the Parades Commission and (b) its individual members since July 2014.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: Since July 2014, I have had (a) no meetings with the full Parades Commission and (b) one meeting with the Chair of the Commission.

Elections: Belfast North

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many Electoral ID cards were issued in each ward in Belfast North constituency in each month from April 2013 to March 2015.

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many electoral ID cards were issued in each ward in West Belfast constituency in each month from April 2014 to March 2015.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland do not hold the information for how many electoral ID cards have been issued on a ward by ward basis and are only able to provide information on how many ID cards have been issued overall in Northern Ireland for each month.

Northern Ireland Office: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which buildings occupied by her Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The Northern Ireland Office leases office space from HM Treasury in 1 Horse Guards Road, London. This building is on a PFI contract. However, my Department pays its leasing charges to HM Treasury and not to a private landlord.

Economic Situation: Northern Ireland

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen and rebalance the Northern Ireland economy.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Government has made significant commitments to help rebalance the Northern Ireland economy through both the Economic Pact and the Stormont House Agreement.This includes passing legislation to devolve corporation tax powers and providing up to £700million of additional borrowing to help restructure the public sector.

Welfare State: Northern Ireland

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on welfare reform.

Mr Ben Wallace: My Rt hon Friend the Northern Ireland Secretary of State has held a series of bilateral and collective meetings with the Northern Ireland Executive parties to discuss possible solutions to the current impasse on welfare reform.Welfare reform would replace a broken system with one that rewards work, protects the vulnerable and is fairer to taxpayers.The issue will also be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting of the Stormont House Agreement Implementation review group.

British Irish Council

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the role of the British-Irish Council.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The British Irish Council provides a unique opportunity for the eight member administrations to work together on matters of mutual interest.At our recent meeting in Dublin we had productive discussion on the improving economic picture across the UK and Ireland, and agreed further collaborative action on tackling alcohol misuse.

Northern Ireland Executive: Finance

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking to increase the sustainability of the Northern Ireland Executive's finances.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: Under the Stormont House Agreement, the Government provided £2billion of additional spending power to help deal with problems which are specific to Northern Ireland such as addressing the legacy of its past.This is in addition to the block grant and extra security funding of £231million.

Department of Health

Health Services: Cumbria

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent on staffing costs for healthcare in Cumbria in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

Alistair Burt: Information is not available in the format requested.   The information that is available for total staff costs for National Health Service bodies in Cumbria is shown in the following table.2012-132013-14 £000s£000s   North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust  Total staff costs143,703159,468   Cumbria Primary Care Trust  Total staff costs14,243N/A Source: Department of Health Annual Report and Accounts Notes: Data for 2014-15 is not yet available.Data for individual foundation trusts and clinical commissioning groups is not held centrally.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make available on the NHS telescopic tube technology for the diagnosis of cancer.

Jane Ellison: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration is available on the National Health Service.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken to ensure availability of regular cervical cancer screening in women over 40.

Jane Ellison: The Northern Ireland Executive is responsible for healthcare in Northern Ireland. The answer to this parliamentary question on cervical screening gives the position in England.   The NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England offers screening to women aged 25 to 49 every three years, and women aged 50 to 64 every five years. Women aged over 65 should only be screened if they have not been screened since age 50 or if they have had recent abnormal results.   Public Health England continues to work with NHS England to develop a system of performance improvement to increase screening coverage amongst all eligible age groups, particularly in disadvantaged communities. We fully support efforts to warn women aged 40 to 64 about the risks of missing their appointments, as it is important that women above vaccination age realise that cervical screening is the best way to prevent cervical cancer as abnormalities can be detected and treated at an earlier stage.   In April 2012 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) gave its support for a pilot to assess the value of using human papilloma virus (HPV) testing as primary screening for cervical disease, rather than the currently used cytology test. The pilot is establishing the feasibility of using HPV as the primary screen for cervical disease in order to achieve better outcomes for women, while minimising over-treatment and anxiety, and whether it is practical to roll out nationally. The UK NSC will be reviewing the evidence at its forthcoming meeting in summer 2015 on whether HPV as primary screening for cervical disease should replace the currently used cytology test.

Asthma: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with (a) the British Medical Association and (b) other medical bodies on possible adverse effects of the use of inhalers for the treatment of asthma.

Jane Ellison: There have been no recent discussions between the Secretary of State and the British Medical Association or other medical bodies on possible adverse effects of the use of inhalers for the treatment of asthma.

Social Services

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals for changes to the Care Act 2014 to ensure that social carers spend sufficient time with each patient.

Alistair Burt: Care workers are routinely tasked with caring for individuals with intimate care and support needs, for example helping those who are older or who have a disability to do everyday things like wash, dress and get out of bed. It is unrealistic to think that very short home care visits, for example, those lasting less than 15 minutes would be enough time to do this - it is not fair on those who need care and it is not fair on care workers. Through the Care Act, the Government has made it clear that commissioning services without considering the impact on people’s wellbeing is unacceptable.   It is the Government’s position that it would be inappropriate to introduce new or amend existing legislation to address this issue, for example, by specifying a minimum time length for home care visits. Short care visits may be appropriate for specific, non-intimate tasks such as checking medication has been taken.   Commissioning for high quality care requires a more fundamental culture shift where the outcomes individuals want to achieve sits at the heart of every decision made by a local authority. This is best achieved through guidance and support.   The Department has published statutory guidance to support the implementation of the Care Act that describes how local authorities must meet these new duties when commissioning. The Department has also worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Local Government Association to co-produce a set of standards to support local authorities to assess and improve their commissioning practices.

Terminal Illnesses: Home Care Services

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on supporting terminally ill patients to die at home if they so wish.

Ben Gummer: We want to see greater choice in end of life care so that people are able to be cared for and die in the place they choose and receive care which is appropriate for their needs, whether that is in a hospice, a hospital or their own home.   An independently led review of choice in end of life care published its advice in February 2015. The review is available online at:   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choice-in-end-of-life-care   We agree with the review’s vision of enabling greater choice at the end of life and are working with NHS England to see how this can best be achieved. The Government’s full response to the review will set out our position on this issue later in the year.

Cycloastragenol

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will commission an assessment of possible links between TA-64 anti-ageing serum and tumours.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England has not carried out as an assessment of possible links between TA-64 anti-ageing serum and tumours.

Allergies: Blood Tests

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical and medical bodies on the potential use in the NHS of blood tests to diagnose fatal food allergies.

Jane Ellison: No discussions have taken place between the Ministers of the Department and the clinical and medical bodies on the potential use in the National Health Service of blood tests to diagnose fatal food allergies.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical and medical bodies on the potential uses of man-made DNA in the NHS to create cures for cancers.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical and medical bodies about the development and use of new technologies for detecting and diagnosing brain tumours.

Jane Ellison: There have been no discussions between the Secretary of State for Health and clinical and medical bodies on the potential uses of man-made DNA in the National Health Service to create cures for cancers, or on the development and use of new technologies for detecting and diagnosing brain tumours.

Perinatal Mortality: Screening

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps NHS England is taking to test pregnant women for infections that can cause stillbirth.

Ben Gummer: On the advice of the UK National Screening Committee the NHS Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening Programme is offered in England. It aims to identify pregnant women with syphilis, hepatitis B, HIV and susceptibility to rubella so they can be offered appropriate follow-on tests and treatments so the risk of the infection being passed on to the child can be substantially reduced. Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is usually caught by having sex with someone who is infected. Pregnant women can pass the condition on to their unborn baby, and if untreated syphilis can cause serious health problems for the mother and her baby, or cause miscarriage or still birth.

Action on Smoking and Health: Finance

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department will provide funding to Action on Smoking and Health in the 2015-16 financial year.

Jane Ellison: The Department has received an application for grant funding from Action on Smoking and Health for the 2015-16 financial year. No decision on funding has yet been taken.

Asthma: Death

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the national review of asthma deaths; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: We have welcomed the report of the United Kingdom’s National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) Confidential Inquiry which provides a wealth of information about the causes of mortality from asthma.   The NHS mandate for 2015-16 says that every patient with a long-term condition, including asthma and other respiratory conditions, should be offered a personalised care action plan. They and their families or carers should know the right medications to use at the right times and how to use them, and to understand the importance of monitoring their condition and how to do this.   NHS England is also working with strategic clinical networks on a programme specifically designed to tackle the issues raised in the NRAD recommendations on paediatric asthma. In addition to this NHS England has commissioned a number of key programmes of work to support improvement in asthma care:   - The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership has been commissioned to undertake a national asthma audit; - The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has prioritised in its 2015/16 work programme to develop two guidelines on both diagnosis and monitoring, and of management of Asthma; and - Asthma UK is also developing an action plan template to support the implementation of the NRAD recommendations.   From 1 October this year it will become illegal to smoke in a car with a child present, which will reduce the number of children exposed to tobacco smoke.

Department of Health: Lobbying

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure that no funding provided by his Department which reaches a third-party group is subsequently used to lobby his Department.

Alistair Burt: Funding applications from voluntary sector organisations are assessed against a number of criteria, but Departmental policy clearly states that grants will not be awarded if there is any indication within the application that some or all of any funding awarded will be used to support political activities, including political lobbying activity.

NHS England: Correspondence

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) emails and (b) letters were responded to by NHS England in (i) five or less, (ii) six to 10, (iii) 11 to 15, (iv) 16 to 20, (v) 21 to 25, (vi) 26 to 30, (vii) 31 to 35, (viii) 36 to 40, (ix) 41 to 45, (x) 46 to 50, (xi) 51 to 55, (xii) 56 to 60 and (xiii) more than 60 working days in each of the last five years.

George Freeman: NHS England is an independent arm’s length body of the Department. NHS England has signed up to a Public and Parliamentary Accountability protocol where it is committed to answering all correspondence in 18 working days, in line with the Whitehall standard.   NHS England does not hold information in the format in which it has been requested, nor does it hold information on response times for specific channels of correspondence. Response rates for general enquiries are available and listed in the table below.  Number of general enquiriesResolved in 3 working days2013/14103,49985%2014/15127,55789%   General enquiries are letters, e-mails or telephone calls that are received through the NHS England Customer Contact Centre. The information that NHS England does hold for the total volume of emails and letters received is available below in a quarterly format.  2013/142014/15E-mailsLettersE-mailsLettersQ111,4862,23416,1022,640Q212,5762,73315,0092,506Q313,6082,73916,2502,667Q415,8222,84018,5682,308   In February 2015, NHS England launched a dedicated email mailbox for MPs and Peers, which has been communicated to all MPs and Peers in February and June. Since england.mp@nhs.net was established, the mailbox has received approximately 750 pieces of correspondence. Of the 617 cases which have been completed, 561 (91%) were responded to and completed within 18-working days.   NHS England (also known as the NHS Commissioning Board) was established in April 2013. As such no data are available before this point.

Blood and Bone Marrow: Donors

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase the number of registered (a) blood and (b) bone marrow donors.

Jane Ellison: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), accountable to the Secretary of State for Health, is responsible for the provision of a reliable, efficient supply of blood to the National Health Service in England and North Wales. Blood stocks are currently in a healthy position but there is a continuing need for new donors to fill the gaps left by existing donors who are no longer able to give blood. This ensures that we have the right mix of blood groups to match patients’ needs. NHSBT co-ordinates local and national awareness campaigns, such as the recent ‘Missing Type’ campaign, which are intended to motivate thousands of people to start donating blood.   The Department has provided £16 million new funding to NHSBT and Anthony Nolan since 2012 to improve the provision of stem cells in the United Kingdom. This funding has enabled the recruitment of over 60,000 young male donors who are more likely to be able to donate bone marrow. In addition, there has been targeted recruitment of donors from groups that are currently under-represented in the donor registry. Following the success of the UK Stem Cell Strategy, a further £3 million funding has been announced for this year to support stem cell transplantation and save more lives.

General Practitioners: Sheffield Heeley

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GP surgeries in Sheffield, Heeley constituency will be affected by the phased withdrawal of the Minimum Practice Income Guarantee.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the phased withdrawal of the Minimum Practice Income Guarantee on GP services and the number of GP surgeries in Sheffield, Heeley constituency.

Alistair Burt: NHS England advises that 28 practices in Sheffield are affected by the withdrawal of the Minimum Practice Income Guarantee (MPIG).   The MPIG was introduced as part of the 2004 General Medical Services (GMS) contract as a temporary top-up payment to some general practitioner (GP) practices to smooth the transition to new funding arrangements. In the GP contract settlement in 2013, the Government decided to phase out MPIG top-up payments over a seven-year period, starting from 1 April 2014. The MPIG payments are inequitable, because practices serving very similar populations get paid very different amounts of money per patient.   The funding released from MPIG over the seven years will be reinvested in the basic payments made to all GMS practices. For the majority of practices there will be a net gain in practice income. Making changes over this period will allow the minority of practices that lose funding to adjust gradually to a reduction in payments.   NHS England agreed to offer additional transitional support to some practices to help with this change. NHS England published criteria for assessing the eligibility of GP practices for support during 2014-15 and 2015-16, where they are losing £3 or more per head of weighted population per annum as a result of changes to GMS funding arrangements, and where there are high levels of need.

Ovarian Cancer: Diagnosis

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department (a) has commissioned and (b) is aware of on the diagnosis, blood-testing and other testing of ovarian cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds a range of research relating to ovarian cancer diagnosis and testing. The NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme is currently funding a £1 million project on refining ovarian cancer test accuracy scores. The research aims to identify, refine and validate tests and risk prediction models that estimate the probability of having ovarian cancer for post and premenopausal women with suspected ovarian cancer, applicable to secondary and primary care. It also aims to define thresholds of predicted risk from the test and models that inform decisions for patient management. The project began in October 2014 and the final report is expected to be published in April 2019.   The United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening began in 2000. 200,000 post-menopausal women aged 50 to 74 have been randomised in 12 UK centres. Half the women have been screened, either by annual CA125 blood test or annual trans-vaginal ultrasound, with the remainder as the control group. The study is being funded by the Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK - the Department is providing the National Health Service costs of the study.   Final results of the study showing the impact of ovarian cancer screening on mortality are due to be published in January 2016.   The NIHR has recently approved £1.3 million funding for a trial looking at whether a newer version of magnetic resonance imaging, multi-parametric MR (mpMR), may be more beneficial for women with ovarian cancer pre-operatively than a CT scan. Small studies suggest mpMR is better at discriminating ovarian cancer from non-cancer (benign ovarian masses) and in seeing how much the disease has spread. This is important for planning the type of surgery and whether surgery will be successful in removing disease.

Death

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that more people can die in a place of their choosing.

Ben Gummer: We want to see greater choice in end of life care so that people are able to be cared for and die in the place they choose and receive care which is appropriate for their needs, whether that is in a hospice, a hospital or their own home.   An independently led review of choice in end of life care published its advice in February 2015. The review is available online at:   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choice-in-end-of-life-care   We agree with the review’s vision of enabling greater choice at the end of life and are working with NHS England to see how this can best be achieved. The Government’s full response to the review will set out our position on this issue later in the year.

Cancer

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve outcomes for people with cancer.

Jane Ellison: To help diagnose cancer earlier, we have invested over £22 million in Be Clear on Cancer campaigns between 2010-11 and 2014-15. The first national lung cancer campaign alone led to 700 extra diagnoses and 300 more surgeries during the time of the campaign. NHS England has launched a major early diagnosis programme (Accelerate, Co-ordinate, Evaluate – ACE), working jointly with Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support to test new innovative approaches to identifying cancer more quickly. We are also on track to have all bowel scope screening centres open by December 2016.   We have also made major investments in innovative radiotherapy. The £23 million Radiotherapy Innovation Fund has enabled the National Health Service to achieve 37% of radiotherapy treatments being given by Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy, which is more precise and has fewer side effects. This is ahead of the target of 24%, and up from 5% in 2010. NHS England has committed £6 million to support six trials of more precise stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), and a further £15 million over three years to evaluate and treat patients with SABR. We have also pledged £250 million for two proton beam therapy (PBT) centres at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which will be operational by 2018. 134 patients (including 102 children) were sent abroad for PBT in 2014, up from 56 in 2010 (including 34 children).   Over 1.5 million people were urgently referred to a specialist for suspected cancer in 2014-15, an increase of over 645,000 or 71% compared to 2009-10, and nearly 273,000 patients began treatment for cancer, an increase of over 39,000 or 17% compared to 2009-10. In addition, 19 million crucial diagnostic tests were carried out, an increase of nearly 4.7 million or nearly 33% compared to 2009-10. This included 1.5 million more non-obstetric ultrasounds, 1 million more magnetic resonance imaging scans and 238,000 more endoscopies, all procedures often used to diagnose cancer.   The independent Cancer Taskforce has been set up by NHS England to produce a new cross-system national cancer strategy to take us through the next five years to 2020. The new strategy will set a clear direction covering the whole cancer pathway from prevention to end of life care and will be published in the summer. We will work with the NHS, charities and patient groups to deliver the new strategy.

NHS Trusts: Finance

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts have recorded a (a) surplus, (b) break-even position and (c) deficit since 2000.

Alistair Burt: The following table shows how many National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts have recorded a surplus/breakeven or a deficit since 2004-05.   YearNHS TrustsFoundation TrustsTotalSurplus/ BreakevenDeficitSurplus/ BreakevenDeficitNo.No.No.No.No.2014-15495076772522013-147724106412482012-13995124212492011-1210010122212532010-11106713062492009-101126114152472008-091341410962632007-0817078812662006-07170405452692005-061657121112682004-05191681312284   Source:2014-15 information is from the Monitor and NHS Trust Development Authority latest Board Reports.2004-05 to 2013-14 is from the final accounts.   Data for earlier years is not available.

Hospitals: Expenditure

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on the hospital provider sector in England in each year since 2000.

Alistair Burt: The following table shows the provider (NHS trusts and foundation trusts (FTs)) gross expenditure from 2000-01 to 2013-14. The 2014-15 data is not available as the accounts are currently being audited.   Year of accountProvider Gross Expenditure£ million2013-1471,5572012-1370,0782011-12267,4282010-1160,1122009-1058,1982008-0952,6132007-0848,8712006-0745,6042005-0643,4872004-0540,1222003-0436,0812002-0333,5912001-02133,0562000-0132,138   Source:2011-12 to 2013-14 data is from the Department of Health Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts2004-05 to 2010-11 data is from the NHS Trust Summarised Accounts and FT Consolidated Accounts2000-01 to 2003-04 data is from the NHS Trust Summarised Accounts (there were no FTs prior to 2004-05)   Notes:   1. In 2001-02 there was an exceptional item of expenditure relating to write out of clinical negligence debtors of £1,411 million which has not been included in the gross expenditure figure.   2. Approximately £5 billion of the increase between 2010-11 and 2011-12 is due to the provider arm of the primary care trusts (PCTs) transferring to NHS trusts. Note that retrospective data on the PCT provider expenditure between 2000-01 and 2010-11 is not available, hence, the gross expenditure for these years do not include this element of provider expenditure.

Cancer: Drugs

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the work of the Scottish New Medicines Fund in funding treatments for rarer cancers.

George Freeman: The Government has no plans to assess the work of Scottish New Medicines Fund. The Government is implementing all of the commitments in the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) on improving access to innovative medicines commensurate with the outcomes they offer patients. In addition, NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) are pressing ahead with plans to maximise the benefits of the PPRS by improving access to and optimising the use of medicines to improve patient outcomes.   The Cancer Drugs Fund has already helped over 72,000 people in England and this year £340 million will be provided so people get the drugs they need. A working party made up of NHS England, cancer charities, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Ethical Medicines Industry Group and the ABPI is looking at options for the sustainable long-term commissioning of cancer drugs.   We take the issue of ensuring rapid access to innovative therapies very seriously, which is why we have launched an Accelerated Access Review to make recommendations to Government later in the year on speeding up access for National Health Service patients to innovative and cost effective new medicines, diagnostics and medical technologies.

Congenital Abnormalities: Research

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on research into Patau and Edwards Syndrome in each of the last five years.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of planned Government-funded spending on research into Patau and Edwards Syndrome in each of the next five years.

George Freeman: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has not directly funded any specific research on Patau’s or Edwards’ syndromes during the last five years. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Patau’s and Edwards’ syndromes. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.   The Research Councils support investigator-led research in response to proposals from the academic community and do not normally allocate funds to particular topics. The Medical Research Council (MRC) welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health. Proposals are subject to peer review and judged in open competition with other demands on funding. MRC awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health and therefore information on future funding that may be awarded for this area is not available.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what proportion of prescriptions a charge was levied in 2014-15.

Alistair Burt: For the period April 2014 to March 2015, a charge was levied at the point of dispensing for 4.97% of all prescription items dispensed in the community in England. A further 4.45% were dispensed using an English pre-payment certificate.

Mental Health Services: Expenditure

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funds his Department has provided for mental health research (a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms and (c) as a proportion of the total research and development budget in each year since 2000.

George Freeman: Mental health research spend data is not available for 2000/01 and 2001/02.   Estimated spend on mental health from research and development (R&D) allocations to National Health Service organisations in the period from 2002/03 to 2004/05 is shown in the following table.£ million2002/0345.52003/0448.42004/0551.7   Data is not available for this period for spend on mental health by the Department’s centrally managed research programmes.   The following table shows estimated spend on mental health from the NHS R&D / National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) revenue budget, and this spend as a proportion of total expenditure from this budget.NHS R&D / NIHR estimated spend on mental health  £ millionProportion of NHS R&D / NIHR budget%2005/0659.89.72006/0764.09.72007/0865.69.02008/0967.98.6   From 2009/10, spend on research funded directly by the NIHR has been categorised by Health Research Classification System (HRCS) health categories. NIHR expenditure on research infrastructure and systems where spend cannot be attributed to health categories is excluded. The following table shows NIHR spend in the ‘mental health’ category, and this spend as a proportion of total categorised spend and as a proportion of total revenue expenditure.NIHR spend in ‘mental health’ HRCS health category   £ millionProportion of total categorised NIHR spend%Proportion of total NIHR revenue spend%2009/1040.37.94.72010/1149.89.05.42011/1253.29.05.82012/1370.09.57.32013/1471.79.57.3   NIHR data for 2014/15 spend in mental health is not yet available.   In addition, the Department commissions research through the Policy Research Programme (PRP) which funds research to inform policy development and implementation across the full range of the Department’s responsibilities. Spend on research funded directly by the PRP in mental health is available for the period from 2010/11 to 2013/14 and is shown below:   £ million2010/110.52011/121.32012/130.62013/140.7   The Department’s expenditure from central R&D revenue budgets is shown in the following table.NHS R&D / NIHR£ millionPRP£ millionTOTAL£ million2000/01448344822001/02475355102002/03506335392003/04533325652004/05601306312005/06617296462006/07662316932007/08735287632008/09788378252009/10851348852010/11920409602011/12921319522012/13955309852013/14987311,018   Prior to the establishment of the NIHR in April 2006, the main part of the Department’s total health research expenditure was devolved to and managed by NHS organisations. The NHS organisations reported on their use of these allocations in annual R&D reports. These reports estimated total, aggregated spend on certain priority areas including mental health. Where a research project related to two or more priority areas, the expenditure on it was included within each relevant area. From April 2006 to March 2009, transitional research funding was allocated to these organisations at reducing levels. At the same time, an increasing amount of NHS research funding was awarded competitively through new NIHR programmes and schemes.